Session III

Tuesday, July 2-Thursday, August 1

Unless otherwise indicated, Session II and III courses are taught at the graduate level in English, using texts in the original, although translations are generally available. Each course earns 3 credits. Session II and III courses meet three days every week (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday), except for holidays.

In honor of Independence Day, there will be no classes on Thursday, July 4.

All Session III courses are open to participants in the Summer Learners Program.

BIB/MED 5457: Jews and Christians Read Scripture: Interactions During the Early Renaissance
Eran Viezel, 9:30-11:20 a.m.

We will dedicate these lessons to discussions of interesting and essential aspects in the works of some of the most important medieval Jewish exegetes. We will analyze their exegetical motivation and methodology, discuss their attitude and contribution to fundamental questions, and examine their role in the history of biblical exegesis. This course has a prerequisite of HEB 2103, and prior Bible background is strongly recommended.

ANC/HIS 5612: Jews and Popular Culture in the Ancient World
Loren Spielman, 1:30-3:20 p.m.

What did ancient Jews really think about gladiators, athletics, theater, or novels? This course will examine how the Jews adapted, exploited, or rejected the entertainments that were common in the ancient world. Students will develop an understanding of how Jews in antiquity used games and leisure activities to strengthen communal bonds, transmit ethical values, and map the boundaries of Jewish identity.

MJS/JTH 5316: To Do the Right and the Good: An Introduction to Jewish Ethics
Louis Newman, 2:30-4:20 p.m.

This course explores the ethical dimension of Judaism in both its traditional and contemporary forms. We will investigate practical questions of ethical living (views on euthanasia, abortion, the legitimate use of political power, etc.) and theoretical questions about the character of Jewish ethics as a whole. JTS students who have already taken an Introduction to Jewish Ethics course should not enroll in this class.

MID/JGW 5175: Queering God, Torah, and Israel
Gwynn Kessler, 3:30-5:20 p.m.

This class introduces students to queer theory and its application to Jewish texts. We will critically engage with the scholarly writings that bring together Jewish texts and queer theory, and create our own queer readings of Jewish textuality.

EDU 5125: Educational Dialogues with Jewish Texts on Teaching and Learning
Elie Holzer, 5:30-7:20 p.m.

An interpretive, dialogical, and self-critical study of traditional Jewish texts reflecting interpersonal and intrapersonal dimensions of the teaching and learning experience. Among the topics: ethics of collaborative learning, rupture and repair in learning relationships, and the human face in the teaching/learning relationship. Course format will include short introductions to the hermeneutical and literary concepts, interpretive discussions of texts, and opportunities to reflect on and discuss practical educational implications of the ideas that will come up through the interpretations of these texts.